Goodman Says She Has Unfinished Business and Wants Another Term

One could say Laurie Goodman is in some ways an interesting study in contrasts. She's not the most vocal member of the school board at its usual Monday meetings yet she's perhaps the most public face of the five-member board, due in large part because of her locally-popular education blog, LaurieGood.Blogspot.com.

After winning a three-year term in 2008, incumbent Goodman is gearing up for another go at a school board seat for one of two seats, with fellow incumbent Sheila Brogan and challenger Christina Krauss also vying for a spot at a three-year term.

"It’s something I really care about. It’s something I’m really passionate about. It’s really, really hard but I don’t think that’s a reason not to do it. Three years went by in a flash,” Goodman said in an interview last week with Patch. “There’s still a lot on the to-do list.”

For instance, Goodman said, communication could be better with residents.

“I still think there’s a lot we can do to improve communication. When we get into situations where some members of the community are upset, it invariably has a communications element to it.

“I often at the beginning [of her term] especially talked about opening up ways where residents and parents could be more involved, have more access to the process. We haven’t come up with a way yet.”

Goodman reported that she’d pitched opening up resident involvement in board committees. “What can I say? The rest of the board didn’t agree with me," she said.

“I respect all my colleagues and it’s never been an acrimonious thing.” “It would be a fairly big change in the culture with the way the district or board has worked in the past.”

Goodman said the board has discussed the perception of the board as not always being seen as interactive with the community. She said, however, the board meetings are more viewed by the five-member board as a business meeting that is in the public, which is not always how the public views things.

She added the district and board members still communicate with residents–through HSAs, meetings, e-mails and other means–but that doesn’t always come across on Channel 77 or in the public forum. But also, she added, administrators don’t always have the answers immediately, which feeds that perception although answers are given to the public, without the aid of a screen.

Goodman said she'd like to see a push toward an "education Town Hall" meeting in the future to help with more of a forum atmosphere.

Fields/lights

"We’re still working on it,” Goodman said of balancing the seemingly n0-win position of the needs of the neighbors of the high school fields and the thousands of field participants. “It was a big step for everyone, a big change.”

Because of the complexity–there are district ties, neighbor ties, sport groups, council, village departments all with a stake or share of responsibility on the lights and turfing of the fields–it makes managing a logistically difficult position, she said.

Goodman said many residents are “making their judgments by driving by,” which doesn't always provide a clear picture of what's going on. “You could drive by a year ago and see green grass there. That doesn’t mean it was usable and safe.”

That said, she recognizes things aren't ideal and wants to help bridge any gaps in communication should she be reelected.

“I think we didn’t do what we could have done in communicating and helping everyone with the transition,” she said but remarked she felt the turfing and light installation was a good move by the board. That doesn't make it easier though. "It’s painful. It takes a lot of time and work.”

[Editor’s note: After this interview was conducted, the fields flooded and on Monday, April 25 Goodman directly asked Superintendent Fishbein if all the costs were in. The superintendent neglected to say there would be a $21,000 cost until asked in public comment by a staff writer of The Ridgewood News. Goodman, on her blog, defended the superintendent by saying he made a mistake. "I believe that Dr. Fishbein planned to report the info,” she said, adding she was glad the public heard it and there was no 'conspiracy.' She said she 'wished' she had asked about the wrinkle repair at the meeting but said "BOE meetings are not theater for spectators." The board was already aware of the cost, which it received in its packet on Thursday, Goodman remarked.

"That being said, of course the public DID need to hear it, which (in my opinion) could also have been accomplished in a press release or interview,” she wrote on Tuesday night.]

Responsibility to taxpayers/students

A marketing whiz and Somerville mom, Goodman said finding a balance between respecting the difficulties of residents in rising costs and falling incomes while fulfilling its mandate to educate children to the best of its ability, is the question “at the very heart of what I find most challenging as a Board member.”

“It’s not our job to run the schools, but it’s our job to make sure the schools are well run,” she said, adding the board must listen to the community, parents and students. The end goal should always be giving children “the best possible education,” she said.

“Unfortunately, economic realities are making it harder and harder. This will force Boards–and communities–to do a couple of things: evolve our definition of what constitutes a 'best' education, and think outside the box on how to achieve it. Instead of trying to do the same things, only cheaper, we'll need to actually change some of the things that we do. And by 'we' I mean all of us, the whole community,” Goodman said.

The district’s proposed budget is $86.77 million, the majority of which is locked into health care and budgeted toward large negotiated contracts. While the board could have applied for a waiver on health care costs, increasing taxes, it chose not to.

“I think that’s evidence we’re concerned with the burden on the taxpayer," she said.

"Last year we cut $6 million. At a certain point we drew the line and said, ‘We can’t in good conscience cut any more,'" which led to adverse consequences the district is still battling, she said.

If the budget is voted down again and the council does agree to cut? She said there was no known contingency plan specifically spelled out by the board, but administrators have said it would likely lead to staffing cuts.

Goodman said a defeated budget is not healthy to the community. “It can go very wrong when different parts of the community start turning on each other on the threat of having to make these horrible decisions.”

“That’s making choices out of fear and I don’t think that’s a good way to make choices.”

One of the negotiators on teacher the soon-to-end teacher contract with the REA, Goodman couldn’t speak to specifics but said “the board realizes the economic [situation] we are living in now and created a budget to fit those economic realities.” While a challenge, Goodman also said the contract represents an opportunity for the village moving forward.

It’s not all about fields and budgets

Goodman said as a member she was proud the district was able to do the district parent survey, which was something she ran on in 2008. “The main thing that surprised me was how varied and how absolutely polar opposite so many people’s opinions are," adding each school has its own personality, something she didn't know when she first ran. Goodman called the survey a solid move forward for the district and hopes to continue working out the kinks and making better decisions with more information.

Valley

Goodman said she wouldn’t offer her personal views on Valley but said due to the nature of the size and complexity of the ‘Renewal’ proposal, she believes in there being a process. “Whether it’s good for the village is the village council’s job to decide. The board did not feel it was our goal to jump into that process.”

Re-election goals, public visibility

If she’s re-elected, she said her biggest goals are to continue to work on communication with residents and also wishes to address technology.

“Technology is different than it did a few years ago,” she said. “How can we be good digital citizens?" she asked. That plays into bullying, people’s digital footprint and digital literacy, she said.

It dovetails well with her own technology background. Goodman, despite being one of the quieter board members at the meetings, is perhaps the most visible member of the school board given her prolific education blogging, which she says she’d do even if not given her public position.

“Meetings to me are not where it happens. I don’t talk to hear the sound of my own voice. If I have something to say, I’ll say it,” she said.  “Issues come and issues go. I don’t expect everyone ever to agree with everything I’ve said or done. That would be weird,” she remarked.

But, as a relatively new member “not part of the establishment,” Goodman is hoping for the voting public to give her another three years to complete unfinished business. And you can bet she'll Tweet about it.